Instead of working as an assistant with a championship team under Phil Jackson, Shaw spent the past two seasons as the Indiana Pacers' associate coach, partly serving as a mentor for head coach Frank Vogel. Instead of teaching Jackson's famed triangle offense, Shaw spends a large portion of his time teaching Vogel's traditional system. Instead of enjoying the sunny skies over his former Manhattan Beach residence, Shaw has spent time in his lakeside home here, rekindling his lifelong love of fishing.

"It's just a different perspective, but I'm learning and trying to be a sponge," Shaw said in an interview with this newspaper. "There's different ways of doing things."

With the Lakers (34-32) visiting the Indiana Pacers (40-24) tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Shaw said he's moved well past the initial frustration he felt two years ago when the Lakers passed him over in favor of Mike Brown to coach the Lakers following Jackson's retirement.

Instead, Shaw said he's relishing the changed circumstances with his eyes still set on the big picture.

"My ultimate goal is to be a head coach," Shaw said. "But I'm not going to take or go after the wrong job just to get the experience of being a head coach. I'm in a great situation here."